Yes, Courchevel does include the most expensive resort in the Alps, but drop
down a bit lower and you’ll see the prices fall too, says Dave Watts.

My first skiing holiday was to Méribel in the Seventies, and I fell in love with the sport and the fabulous Trois Vallées area. I have returned regularly ever since – but now my allegiances have changed to Courchevel, which in the early days I regarded as too smart and pricey.

It’s true that what used to be called 1850 (see below) is the dearest resort in the French Alps, but the lower resorts are all much more affordable. Moriond (formerly known as 1650) is my favourite because it is a small, compact village with friendly locals, reasonable prices and a genuine old village centre. It has recently expanded with new chalets built down the hill and linked to the main village by smart covered escalators.

Moriond is at one end of the Trois Vallées (with 600km of pistes and 172 lifts, the biggest lift-linked network in the world); its local slopes are snow-sure and mainly north-facing and usually have quieter pistes than elsewhere – yet reaching Val Thorens at the far end takes only 90 minutes or so.

The resort villages have all changed names – and signs and maps will be changed for the 2012/13 season. 1850 is now called just Courchevel (confusing because the valley and ski area are Courchevel too). 1650 has reverted to the name of the old village it is based on, Courchevel Moriond. 1550 has become Courchevel Village. 1300 is Courchevel Le Praz.

Courchevel Village

What’s happening this season

Courchevel 1850 lifts and the Trois Vallées links have been open since December 8, and the lower Courchevel village lifts opened last weekend; all lifts close on April 26. Highlights of this season include the BMW Polo Masters from January 31 to February 3; the International Fireworks Festival from February 21 to March 14; and the 3 Vallées Enduro (open to all: teams of three compete in various on-snow events) on April 7.

Getting there

From London (St Pancras) and the south-east (Ashford), the ski train is very convenient and takes you straight to Moûtiers – in just over seven hours for the Saturday day train (return the following Saturday). The Friday night train (return departs Saturday night) takes longer but you get eight days’ skiing instead of six: from £149 return. There are plenty of flights from British airports to Geneva, but Chambéry airport is nearer the resorts. Various companies, including Ski Amis (skiamis.com) and 3 Valleys Transfers (3vt.co.uk), provide transfers.

Ski schools

You are spoilt for choice here with excellent British-run schools such as…

New Generation (0844 770 4733; skinewgen.com) Very highly regarded, started here around 15 years ago and now operates in 10 resorts; five two-hour morning group lessons €189/£153; also offers special skills clinics (e.g. bumps, steeps, park) and 3 Vallées Exploration groups. I have had excellent sessions with its staff.

Sweet Snowsports (645 438144; sweetsnowsports.com) Runs morning workshops (€145/£1118 for two three-hour sessions with a maximum of five people per group) and private lessons.

RTM (615 485904; rtmsnowboarding.com) Snowboard specialists and have freestyle as well as regular lessons (£170 for four three-hour group sessions).

Ski hire

Intersport (479 083185) and Francis Blanc (479 081485) both offer a good range of skis and boards from beginner to demo from €80/£65 to €130/£106 for six days. Both are close to the main gondola station and let you leave gear in the shop overnight. I’ve had excellent demo skis from both.

You’ll find plenty to do in the Courchevel valley without venturing out to the rest of the Trois Vallées.One of my favourite runs first thing is the lovely Combe Saulire red, from top to bottom of the Saulire cable car route, when it is quiet and beautifully groomed and you can go fast without fear of collisions or moguls.

Also look at the grooming map posted at main lift stations to see which black runs were groomed last night – don’t miss Suisses, M or Combe Pylones or, lower down, Jean Blanc when freshly pisted. For easier cruising, head for the lovely blues above Moriond or from Altiport down towards 1850. When it’s snowing and there’s a white-out higher up, the runs in the trees down to La Tania and Le Praz are lovely. There’s also plenty of great off-piste – for example, the Vallée des Avals is fabulous in spring snow.

Outside the Courchevel valley, my favourite runs are the Combe de Vallon from the top of Mont Vallon in the Méribel sector – a wonderful, long, rolling red that is excellent when groomed – and Jerusalem, away from all the lifts and usually very quiet, down from the ridge above Méribel towards St Martin.

On a clear day, pleasure flights from the Altiport are fabulous. You can also try snowmobiling, paragliding and a 2km toboggan run and there’s a fitness centre in Courchevel (1850) with gym, sauna, steam room and a climbing wall. Non-skiers can get a great-value pedestrian pass covering gondolas, cable cars and some chairlifts and a free map of walks.

All prices are for seven nights in mid-March and include flights and transfers, except where indicated.

Le Ski (01484 548996; leski.com) is celebrates its 30th year in Moriond in 2013 and has 17 chalets there – more than any other operator in the valley. Thirteen of them have sauna, steam or hot tub. From £699.

Ski Olympic (01302 328820; skiolympic.co.uk) is another Moriond specialist, with a chalet-hotel and two chalets, one of which is in its Gold Collection, with an outdoor hot tub and flat-screen satellite television in all rooms. From £645.

Skiworld (08444 930430; skiworld.co.uk) has four chalets in Moriond. From £679.

Powder White (020 8877 8888; powderwhite.com) has 10 chalets in Moriond (which you can also rent partially or wholly self-catered). From £699, excluding flights and transfers.

Ski Total (01483 791933; skitotal.com) has a chalet-hotel and three chalets in Moriond. From £629.

Inghams (01483 791900; inghams.co.uk) has two chalet-apartments with shared hot tub, sauna and steam room in Moriond. From £645.

Many of Courchevel valley’s best-known mountain restaurants are expensive. My two favourites are better value, friendly and welcoming with good food and service.

Bel Air (479 080093). At the top of the Ariondaz gondola from Moriond. Splendid tiered terrace and woody interior. Excellent plat du jour (€24/£19 including as much salad as you like) and omelette Savoyarde (€15/£12) and great-value house wine (€13/£11 a bottle).

Bouc Blanc (479 088026). At the top of the La Tania and cheaper for food and has reliable and very good- value plat du jour (€14/£11) and pichets of wine (€9/£7.50 for 75cl).

Les Verdons (479 040707). At the top of the gondola from Courchevel (1850) is pricier (€25/£20 for a burger, €32/£26 for the cheapest bottle of wine) but service is good and on sunny days there’s live music and dancing on the terrace.

In Moriond, the Petit Savoyard (479 082744) serves good traditional mountain cheese dishes such as raclette and excellent pizzas cooked on an open wood fire. The Schuss (479 078602) is atmospheric and woody with both traditional and modern food. The tiny Cabane (479 084142) is welcoming and serves interestingly different food with an Asian influence. For a more gourmet treat, I head down to Le Praz to the restaurant in Hotel Peupliers (479 084142) or to the Michelin-starred but unpretentious Azimut (479 062590). If money is no object, head up to 1850 to one of the four places with two Michelin stars.